diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_common.h b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_common.h
index 069c13ec7..e3c0407a9 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_common.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/common/include/rte_common.h
@@ -164,6 +164,12 @@ static void __attribute__((destructor(RTE_PRIO(prio)), used)) func(void)
  */
 #define RTE_PTR_DIFF(ptr1, ptr2) ((uintptr_t)(ptr1) - (uintptr_t)(ptr2))
 
+/**
+ * Workaround to cast a const field of a structure to non-const type.
+ */
+#define RTE_CAST_FIELD(var, field, type) \
+	(*(type *)((uintptr_t)(var) + offsetof(typeof(*(var)), field)))
+
 /*********** Macros/static functions for doing alignment ********/
 
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.c
index 768c8b2ed..acc787dba 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.c
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@
 #include "rte_ethdev.h"
 #include "ethdev_private.h"
 
+uint16_t
+eth_dev_to_id(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
+{
+	if (dev == NULL)
+		return RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS;
+	return dev - rte_eth_devices;
+}
+
 struct rte_eth_dev *
 eth_find_device(const struct rte_eth_dev *start, rte_eth_cmp_t cmp,
 		const void *data)
@@ -18,7 +26,7 @@ eth_find_device(const struct rte_eth_dev *start, rte_eth_cmp_t cmp,
 	     start > &rte_eth_devices[RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS]))
 		return NULL;
 	if (start != NULL)
-		idx = start - &rte_eth_devices[0] + 1;
+		idx = eth_dev_to_id(start) + 1;
 	else
 		idx = 0;
 	for (; idx < RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS; idx++) {
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.h b/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.h
index 0f5c6d5c4..e67cf6831 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/ethdev_private.h
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+/*
+ * Convert rte_eth_dev pointer to port id.
+ * NULL will be translated to RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS.
+ */
+uint16_t eth_dev_to_id(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev);
+
 /* Generic rte_eth_dev comparison function. */
 typedef int (*rte_eth_cmp_t)(const struct rte_eth_dev *, const void *);
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_class_eth.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_class_eth.c
index 84b646291..c04279ec6 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_class_eth.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_class_eth.c
@@ -57,9 +57,14 @@ eth_dev_iterate(const void *start,
 {
 	struct rte_kvargs *kvargs = NULL;
 	struct rte_eth_dev *edev = NULL;
+	const char * const *valid_keys = NULL;
 
 	if (str != NULL) {
-		kvargs = rte_kvargs_parse(str, eth_params_keys);
+		if (str[0] == '+') /* no validation of keys */
+			str++;
+		else
+			valid_keys = eth_params_keys;
+		kvargs = rte_kvargs_parse(str, valid_keys);
 		if (kvargs == NULL) {
 			RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "cannot parse argument list\n");
 			rte_errno = EINVAL;
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index 987ba5ab1..45f3f883a 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -36,11 +36,13 @@
 #include <rte_spinlock.h>
 #include <rte_string_fns.h>
 #include <rte_kvargs.h>
+#include <rte_class.h>
 
 #include "rte_ether.h"
 #include "rte_ethdev.h"
 #include "rte_ethdev_driver.h"
 #include "ethdev_profile.h"
+#include "ethdev_private.h"
 
 int rte_eth_dev_logtype;
 
@@ -184,6 +186,127 @@ enum {
 	STAT_QMAP_RX
 };
 
+int __rte_experimental
+rte_eth_iterator_init(struct rte_dev_iterator *iter, const char *devargs_str)
+{
+	int ret;
+	struct rte_devargs devargs = {.args = NULL};
+	const char *bus_param_key;
+	char *bus_str = NULL;
+	char *cls_str = NULL;
+	int str_size;
+
+	memset(iter, 0, sizeof(*iter));
+
+	/*
+	 * The devargs string may use various syntaxes:
+	 *   - 0000:08:00.0,representor=[1-3]
+	 *   - pci:0000:06:00.0,representor=[0,5]
+	 * A new syntax is in development (not yet supported):
+	 *   - bus=X,paramX=x/class=Y,paramY=y/driver=Z,paramZ=z
+	 */
+
+	/* Split bus, device and parameters. */
+	ret = rte_devargs_parse(&devargs, devargs_str);
+	if (ret != 0)
+		goto error;
+
+	/*
+	 * Assume parameters of old syntax can match only at ethdev level.
+	 * Extra parameters will be ignored, thanks to "+" prefix.
+	 */
+	str_size = strlen(devargs.args) + 2;
+	cls_str = malloc(str_size);
+	if (cls_str == NULL) {
+		ret = -ENOMEM;
+		goto error;
+	}
+	ret = snprintf(cls_str, str_size, "+%s", devargs.args);
+	if (ret != str_size - 1) {
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto error;
+	}
+	iter->cls_str = cls_str;
+	free(devargs.args); /* allocated by rte_devargs_parse() */
+	devargs.args = NULL;
+
+	iter->bus = devargs.bus;
+	if (iter->bus->dev_iterate == NULL) {
+		ret = -ENOTSUP;
+		goto error;
+	}
+
+	/* Convert bus args to new syntax for use with new API dev_iterate. */
+	if (strcmp(iter->bus->name, "vdev") == 0) {
+		bus_param_key = "name";
+	} else if (strcmp(iter->bus->name, "pci") == 0) {
+		bus_param_key = "addr";
+	} else {
+		ret = -ENOTSUP;
+		goto error;
+	}
+	str_size = strlen(bus_param_key) + strlen(devargs.name) + 2;
+	bus_str = malloc(str_size);
+	if (bus_str == NULL) {
+		ret = -ENOMEM;
+		goto error;
+	}
+	ret = snprintf(bus_str, str_size, "%s=%s",
+			bus_param_key, devargs.name);
+	if (ret != str_size - 1) {
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto error;
+	}
+	iter->bus_str = bus_str;
+
+	iter->cls = rte_class_find_by_name("eth");
+	return 0;
+
+error:
+	if (ret == -ENOTSUP)
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, EAL, "Bus %s does not support iterating.\n",
+				iter->bus->name);
+	free(devargs.args);
+	free(bus_str);
+	free(cls_str);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+uint16_t __rte_experimental
+rte_eth_iterator_next(struct rte_dev_iterator *iter)
+{
+	if (iter->cls == NULL) /* invalid ethdev iterator */
+		return RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS;
+
+	do { /* loop to try all matching rte_device */
+		/* If not in middle of rte_eth_dev iteration, */
+		if (iter->class_device == NULL) {
+			/* get next rte_device to try. */
+			iter->device = iter->bus->dev_iterate(
+					iter->device, iter->bus_str, iter);
+			if (iter->device == NULL)
+				break; /* no more rte_device candidate */
+		}
+		/* A device is matching bus part, need to check ethdev part. */
+		iter->class_device = iter->cls->dev_iterate(
+				iter->class_device, iter->cls_str, iter);
+		if (iter->class_device != NULL)
+			return eth_dev_to_id(iter->class_device); /* match */
+	} while (1); /* need to try next rte_device */
+
+	/* No more ethdev port to iterate. */
+	rte_eth_iterator_cleanup(iter);
+	return RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS;
+}
+
+void __rte_experimental
+rte_eth_iterator_cleanup(struct rte_dev_iterator *iter)
+{
+	free(RTE_CAST_FIELD(iter, bus_str, char *)); /* workaround const */
+	free(RTE_CAST_FIELD(iter, cls_str, char *)); /* workaround const */
+	memset(iter, 0, sizeof(*iter));
+}
+
 uint16_t
 rte_eth_find_next(uint16_t port_id)
 {
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
index dcdeb184b..3c3684b63 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.h
@@ -166,6 +166,85 @@ extern int rte_eth_dev_logtype;
 
 struct rte_mbuf;
 
+/**
+ * @warning
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice.
+ *
+ * Initializes a device iterator.
+ *
+ * This iterator allows accessing a list of devices matching some devargs.
+ *
+ * @param iter
+ *   Device iterator handle initialized by the function.
+ *   The fields bus_str and cls_str might be dynamically allocated,
+ *   and could be freed by calling rte_eth_iterator_cleanup().
+ *
+ * @param devargs
+ *   Device description string.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   0 on successful initialization, negative otherwise.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int rte_eth_iterator_init(struct rte_dev_iterator *iter, const char *devargs);
+
+/**
+ * @warning
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice.
+ *
+ * Iterates on devices with devargs filter.
+ * The ownership is not checked.
+ *
+ * The next port id is returned, and the iterator is updated.
+ *
+ * @param iter
+ *   Device iterator handle initialized by rte_eth_iterator_init().
+ *   Some fields bus_str and cls_str might be freed when no more port is found,
+ *   by calling rte_eth_iterator_cleanup().
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   A port id if found, RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS otherwise.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+uint16_t rte_eth_iterator_next(struct rte_dev_iterator *iter);
+
+/**
+ * @warning
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice.
+ *
+ * Free some allocated fields of the iterator.
+ *
+ * This function is automatically called by rte_eth_iterator_next()
+ * on the last iteration (i.e. when no more matching port is found).
+ *
+ * It is safe to call this function twice; it will do nothing more.
+ *
+ * @param iter
+ *   Device iterator handle initialized by rte_eth_iterator_init().
+ *   The fields bus_str and cls_str are freed if needed.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+void rte_eth_iterator_cleanup(struct rte_dev_iterator *iter);
+
+/**
+ * Macro to iterate over all ethdev ports matching some devargs.
+ *
+ * If a break is done before the end of the loop,
+ * the function rte_eth_iterator_cleanup() must be called.
+ *
+ * @param id
+ *   Iterated port id of type uint16_t.
+ * @param devargs
+ *   Device parameters input as string of type char*.
+ * @param iter
+ *   Iterator handle of type struct rte_dev_iterator, used internally.
+ */
+#define RTE_ETH_FOREACH_MATCHING_DEV(id, devargs, iter) \
+	for (rte_eth_iterator_init(iter, devargs), \
+	     id = rte_eth_iterator_next(iter); \
+	     id != RTE_MAX_ETHPORTS; \
+	     id = rte_eth_iterator_next(iter))
+
 /**
  * A structure used to retrieve statistics for an Ethernet port.
  * Not all statistics fields in struct rte_eth_stats are supported
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map
index dfa122c1a..399380ad3 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map
@@ -238,6 +238,9 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 	rte_eth_dev_rx_intr_ctl_q_get_fd;
 	rte_eth_dev_rx_offload_name;
 	rte_eth_dev_tx_offload_name;
+	rte_eth_iterator_cleanup;
+	rte_eth_iterator_init;
+	rte_eth_iterator_next;
 	rte_eth_switch_domain_alloc;
 	rte_eth_switch_domain_free;
 	rte_flow_conv;
